Expressway to completion

A scheduled Sept. 17 meeting by the Pennsylvania Turnpike Commission with prospective public/private partners to seek proposals for completion of the Allegheny County section of the Mon Valley/Fayette Expressway and remaining sections of the Southern Beltway project represents a positive step in securing significant private investment for these projects.

With this action, PA Turnpike Commission CEO Joe Brimmeier is making good on a pledge to continue to advance development of the expressway and Southern Beltway.

A unique aspect of the PTC strategy is to offer 57 miles of completed highway and engineering for the remaining sections of the 100-mile toll road network as an incentive for a public/private partnership. It is essential that a pledge of expressway and Southern Beltway projects, developed with state funding, is directly linked with plans to complete the entire toll road network in an expeditious fashion.

We recognize that the PTC public/private partnership strategy has the potential to attract significant private investment. However, it is very possible that public funding will be required to complete the entire toll road network. Our organization is committed to work with the Pennsylvania Turnpike Commission and area elected officials to seek public funding at the state and federal level to ensure this much-need transportation network is completed in its entirety.

Joe Kirk

Monessen

The writer is coordinator for the Expressway Partnership Initiative and executive director of the Mon-Valley Progress Council.